TROLLING IN JHE OLD AND NEW WOULD. 163 



the lakes and rivers of several parts of Ger- 

 many, in which immense trout are found, have 

 assured me of their success by means of trolling, 

 and particularly by practising that branch of it 

 which is called " spinning." They have frequently 

 killed from six to ten very large trout, as large as 

 salmon, before noon, by spinning with the bleak, 

 gudgeon, or some other small fish. Trolling is 

 very successful in taking the gigantic trout of the 

 New World. An angler finding himself without 

 the delicate tackle necessary for fly-fishing, in 

 some remote part of the world where fish abound, 

 may, if he have a few hooks only and any 

 thing to make a line with, very soon cut a rod 

 out of the next wood, ring it, adjust his hooks 

 into a flight of spinning tackle, and work success- 

 fully away with this rude gear. Towns are 

 generally built by large rivers, and most of 

 the latter, in this land of ours, breed pike, 

 and some of them, like the Thames and Trent, 

 very large trout. Such fish generally refuse 

 the fly, are seldom taken by bottom-fishing, 

 but commonly fall before the prowess of the 

 troller. I have just mentioned a few of the in- 

 ducements that ought to lead us to cultivate 

 the art of trolling, particularly as it is not sur- 

 rounded with difficulties, and as it is a smart 

 exercise, requiring as much activity and vigour 

 to be called into play as is conducive to hardy 



M 2 



